Featured Tesla, GM, Nissan, and others form coalition to reform electric vehicle tax credit

nice! i hope they can pull something together to keep the momentum rolling.

happy to see gm maintaining interest in ev future.

 

I'd say allocate 2,000,000 EVs for the tax credit and put it into one pool. Laggard companies get none. Trailblazers get it all.

 

i like it

 

Works for me, with two GM plug-ins. Now, let's build up the infrastructure.

 

exactly

 

How about people who can't get a full-time job but have put in 30 years of loyalty to work in their life be eligible for the FULL credit REGARDLESS of their income or taxes?

 

good point, maybe just make the credit to the manufacturer

 

I'd personally prefer a larger credit in terms of cars manufactured that can be spread across multiple years, but with a price cap. No subsidizing rich peoples' $85k cars.

 

i was thinking that, then thought, maybe we need the rich people to change the world. trickle down demonomics

 

It's a small study and somewhat geographically bound (perhaps culture has an effect), but maybe you should read this:

Wealthier people do less in the struggle against climate change -- ScienceDaily

 

I'm for not subsidizing anyone's car.

That's not a popular statement on this site, and I've been given grief for it before. But holy crap... Once Uncle Gov starts giving assistance for anything, it never goes away.

 

understand, but do you realize how much government is subsidizing outside of electric cars?

 

i don't disagree, but this article does not address the necessity of rich people supporting companies like tesla until they are viable.
if the percent of rich buying teslas is insignificant, the additional tax breaks don't add up to a hill of beans anyway.

 

I want a reality check- have the various subsidy programs operated to date enabled manufacturers to lower the costs of electric car parts?

If we're gaining traction and (for example) motor and battery costs are on an accelerating downward trend due to volume & scale effects, then it's something worth continuing for a while yet.

If we've already found a limit and this is just a band-aid to reduce the sticker shock, then it's a terrible idea to continue.

Since you asked, I'd rather roll out a big gas tax and simultaneously offer a matching credit on your first 300 gallons per year.

But back on topic: I just want to see evidence that the money spent on subsidizing electric cars is actually making industrial electric car production technology more affordable, not just reducing the prices on specific VINs.

 

i doubt anyone knows for sure, and different mfgs are probably at different cost levels

i think reducing the sticker shock sells more cars, which allows more r&d, which brings better, lower cost products and economies of scale.

look at what credits and rebates are doing to prime sales. ( not to mention hov stickers) without them, there probably won't be one.

 

...interesting to wacth

 

I get that- I phrased it carefully. I know there is going to be a basic benefit from stimulated demand, the natural result of subsidized unit sales. A public subsidy should inspire other investment, and with or without said co-investment should still result in the industry building up for beyond the small scales initially sold. As a representative of the taxpaying public, I'm not trying to buy a business solution engineered to capture all subsidy dollars. I'm trying to get a snowball rolling down a hill, to get the factory to buy the right machine and hire the right people to build the pluggy car for less money than the stinky car.

Has anyone (publicly) taken a look at current pluggy cars to see which would be the easiest to scale in production?

 

not that i have seen, but there are quite a few websites that follow ev development very carefully. for all i know, that kind of information may be available.

to simplify the debate to 'i don't like tax subsidies' doesn't work, but it matters not, because congress doesn't go in depth to make a decision, they just look at votes and pac money.
so we're really stuck with a yay or nay, and who we vote for.